Apple iOS 15 To Include Added Convenience With Updates For CarPlay And Maps

Siri will be announcing incoming messages while Apple Maps will offer additional information for a smoother journey in select cities

The new Apple operating system, iOS 15, has now been revealed ahead of its rollout across various Apple devices. Among the various new features and improvements, Apple has added some functionalities to its own Maps application and CarPlay, which is the smartphone connectivity feature between an iPhone and a car’s infotainment system.

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When your phone is connected to the car’s infotainment system via Apple CarPlay, the brand’s digital assistant Siri can now announce incoming messages. Users can turn the announcements on or off when a message is read and the digital assistant will remember your preference, or one can simply control the feature via settings.

While the latest version of Apple Maps has been rolled out in select countries only, it does get a cool update with iOS 15 that will make it easier to navigate while driving. It now lets the user see details such as traffic and incidents on your mapped route and includes road details such as zebra crossings, bus lanes, turn lanes and medians. If you’re approaching a complicated intersection, it switches to a 3D road-level view to help you stay on route. This feature will also be rolled out to Apple CarPlay at a later date. This year, the updated maps will be available in eight countries: US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Australia. No word for India for now.

The new Apple iOS also adds a feature called Focus which allows users to choose which notifications they are alerted to at different times of the day. Custom Focus settings can also be used to set up a driving-centric notification system that could silence all of the usual distractions and only leave alerts such as directions or phone calls (to be used hands-free, a feature common to most cars today).

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The iOS 15 update is expected to be rolled out from September onwards and will be compatible with Apple devices going as far back as the first-gen iPhone SE. The full suite of features and updates of iOS 15 that will be available to users also varies depending on the country.